No. 87: Smash

Of Smashes, Jerry Thomas writes "This drink is simply a julep on a small plan." (He has quite a lot to say about the julep, which I'll get around to soon.) Your spirit of choice, a little sugar, some water, a glass filed with shaved ice, and a garnish--that's pretty much all there is to it.

I recently enjoyed a Brandy Smash made by Sebastian, and I wouldn't be surprised if he used Jerry's recipe:

Brandy Smash.
(Use small bar-glass.)
1/2 table-spoonful of white sugar.
1 do. water
1 wine-glass of brandy.

Fill the glass two-thirds full of shaved ice, use two sprigs of mint, the same as in the recipe for mint julep. Lay two small slices of orange on top, and ornament with berries in season.

By the way, a digital copy of Jerry Thomas' 1862 bartenders' manual How to Mix drinks: or, the Bon-Vivant's Companion is available through google books! Just click the title to take a peek.

No. 22: Corpse Reviver #2

Show up at Anvil and ask Justin for something refreshing, and chances are he'll offer you a Corpse Reviver #2. Corpse Revivers are drinks designed to wake the dead, as it were, in the most delicious way possible.

Originating probably in the late 1880s, Corpse Reviver #2 contains equal parts gin, lemon juice, Lillet blanc, and Cointreau--and a dash (or two) of absinthe. For those who are a bit intimidated by the wormwood-derived, anise-flavored spirit, this drink could make a good first impression.

No. 7: Aviation

The Aviation takes its name from the sky blue tinge derived from Creme de Violette, a liqueur that was apparently at one time almost impossible to find. Consequently, the titular ingredient was actually left out of many recipes, including the recipe in the influential 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.

Luckily for us, Rothman & Winter is producing a Creme de Violette that is now available in the US (this is the brand that Anvil uses), which means that we can enjoy the Aviation in its original incarnation. Originally published in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 "Recipes for Mixed Drinks," the Aviation also calls for dry gin as its base, fresh lemon juice, and Maraschino liqueur:

Aviation Cocktail (Original Recipe)

1/3 Lemon Juice
2/3 El Bart Gin (no longer available; substitute another dry gin)
2 Dashes Maraschino
2 Dashes Creme de Violette
Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve.

The Aviation is one the drinks that I will happily reorder once, you know, I'm finished trying all 99 other cocktails on the list.

(Sources: Food&Spirits and Cocktail Hacker)

No. 82: Seelbach

Justin topping off a Seelbach with champagne

This bright little number had 7 dashes each of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters to thank for its brilliant red color and accordingly bitter taste. It takes its name from the Louisville Seelbach Hotel, which first opened in 1874 as an exclusive gentleman's club and later served as the model for elements in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.

With Kentucky bourbon as its base and additions of cointreau and champagne, what really makes the Seelbach stand out are the large quantities of two different bitters. Perhaps this means it is not a drink for everyone, but I am a huge fan; this is definitely a drink I will be ordering again.

No. 52: Martini

"Six parts gin to one part vermouth" is the final line of the Tom Lehrer song, "Bright College Days," but it is apparently far from the final word on the correct composition of the Martini. From Bernardo DeVoto's perfect Martini that calls for 1.845206 oz of gin to 1/2 oz vermouth and "five hundred pounds of ice" to Hemmingway's ratio of 15 to 1 (both via Eric Felten), this point of contention seems like it can really only come down to your own tastes--and what's fashionable at the time, of course.

Oh, and shaking versus stirring really does make a difference. Shaking the martini both makes the drink colder and dilutes it further than stirring, and even has an effect on the taste. Try both; don't feel pressured by James Bond (he preferred vodka martinis, anyway).

Of the Martini featured in my photos, I know neither the proportion of gin to vermouth nor the method of mixing (though I could probably bug Matt to remember), but I do know that he made it with Hayman's Old Tom gin, which is a favorite of mine (an older style, slightly sweet). Anvil's ingredient list, at least, matches Felten's "Original Intent Martini" recipe: gin, French (dry) vermouth (4:1) and orange bitters.

And in my mind, you really can't go wrong with a lemon twist.

Update: Anvil's ingredients may match Felten's, but Justin would like everyone to know that he uses a ratio of 2:1 gin to vermouth, with 2 dashes of bitters.